Sheet metal fabric clip



March 28, 1944. W H CHURCHILL 2,345,325

' v SHEET METAL FABRIC CLIP Filed Deo. 10, 1942 DI.' )4.01.1 A A A A@W//////////////////////////////// 31A/umm I 8 my y Patented Mar. 28,1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET METAL FABRIC CLIP Wilmer H.Churchill, Saugus, Mass., assgnor to i United-Carr Fastener Corporation,Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December10, 1942, Serial No. 468,556

(Cl. 24g-87) 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to sheet metal fabric clips of the typeshown in the Rutledge Patent No. 2,275,683, granted March 10, 1942, andaims generally to improve clips of that type.

In fabric covered installations, as for example,

the Wing surfaces and interior finish of airplanes and similarinstallations where a fabric covering is to be attached to a metalsupport it is quite essential that the fabric be held in place securelyon the support against any outward pull either of the support or thefabric. The supports are conveniently apertured and the fabric may besecured to the support by an elongated clip such as disclosed in theRutledge patent. Heretofore, such clips have been made from metal barstock which involves not only an excess of metal required for thepurpose, but excessive machining operations and produces a clip that maynot be confined to the small compass of clips of the present invention.

The present invention aims to improve clips of the type described above,for example, as shown in the Rutledge patent, by the provision of a clipmade from very thin sheet metal which may be rapidly and economicallyformed on stamping M machines and it will lie flat against the fabricand occupy a minimum of space above the fabric when applied thereto.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from a consideration of the following moredetailed description of one embodiment thereof which is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a clip in place, the sheet metal support andthe fabric covering being illustrated in section;

Fig, 2 is a similar view illustrating the manner of engaging the clipwith the fabric and the support;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clip according to the presentinvention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the blank of sheet metal from which the clip ismade;

Fig. 6 is an end View thereof;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal sectional View taken on the line 8-8 ofFig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, the clip is simple in form and comprises anelongated band I of thin sheet metal which may be formed with alongitudinally disposed reinforcing rib 2 pressed outwardly from theplane of the band to reinforce and add stiffness to the latterthroughout its length. The band is formed at its two ends with Shanks 3which may be of a width slightly less than the band I and which areadapted to be bent angularly tothe band forming a fillet 4. Beyond theshanksY 3 there is provided a spadeshaped end `5 on the blank presentingabrupt shoulders 6 and arcuate edges 1 converging toward a point 8 alongthelongitudinal center line of the blank.

In shaping the clip', the spade portions 5 are folded along thelongitudinal central line so that the shoulders 6 are disposed inwardlyof the fillets 4 and in spaced relation to the band I and the arcuateedges 1 present inwardly facing cam surfaces connecting the innermostends ofthe shoulders 6 with theY point 8, thus forming a folded sheetmetal pointed barb. The pointed barb enables the clip to pierce thefabric and to locate the clip with reference to the apertures in thesupport.

Advantageously the clip is used to secure a fabric I0 to a metal supportII which may be of sheet metal and which is provided with a pair ofspaced apertures I2. Preferably, the barbs are spaced apartlongitudinally a distance slightly less than the spacing between theapertures so that in application they will engage the fabric and supportunder tension. As is illustrated in Fig. 2, the clip is applied to theinstallation by passing one barb through the fabric and one of theapertures I2. The point of the opposite barb is then pressed inwardlyinto the opposite aperture I2. Since the barbs are spaced apart adistance less than the spacing of the apertures I2 and must underlie thesheet metal support I0, there is a yielding and flexing of fillets 4 topermit relative lateral expansion of the barbs in passing through thetwo apertures I2. The resilience of the fillets 4 permits the barbs toreturn to their normal position as soon as they have passed through theapertures I2, thus assuring that the shoulders 6 will underlie theadjacent face of the support II.

Preferably the shoulders 6 of the barb are spaced below the adjacentface of the band I a distance equal to or very slightly less than thecombined thickness of the support Il and fabric I0. This construction,when considered with the fact that the band is of thin sheet metal,permits the band to lie ush with or slightly embedded in the fabric thusavoiding the necessity of especially channelling the support so that thefabric and clip may be confined therein` While I have illustrated anddescribed a preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to belimited thereby because the scope of my invention is best deiined by thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal clip for'securing fabric to an underlying supportformed with a pair of Y widely spaced apertures, said clip comprising lathin stiff flat sheet metal band having angularly disposed resilientshanks at opposite ends and on the same side thereof, and opposed barbsformed of folded sheet metal at the ends of said shanks and presentingshoulders spaced from said band.

an underlying support formed with a pair of widely spaced apertures,said clip comprising a still, flat elongated sheet metal band havingangularly disposed resilient Shanks at opposite ends and on the sameside thereof and an opposed inwardly facing barb formed of folded sheetmetal at the ends of said shanks and presenting inwardly facingshoulders spaced from said band.

3. A sheet metal clip for securing fabric to an underlying supportformed with a pair of widely spaced apertures, said clip being formedfrom 4from a single elongated blank of sheet metal having opposedspade-shaped ends and an inter- ,mediate connecting strip connectingsaid ends,

1 l5 2. A sheet metal clip for securing fabric to said strip providing athin relatively stiff flat band and angularly disposed shanks atopposite lends and on the same side thereof, and said spade-shaped endsbeing folded along a longitudinal median line to form barbs havingsubstantially straight outer faces in the plane of said Shanks andcam-shaped inner faces extending from the lower terminus of saidvouterfacesl angularly toward said band and toward each other to a planespaced from said band and presenting inwardly facing shoulders spacedfrom said band a distance substantially equal to the combined thicknessof the support and fabric, the barbs being spaced apart less than thedistance between the support apertures, said Shanks being yieldable topass said inwardly facing barbs through said support apertures by asnapping action, thus positioning said shoulders in engagement with theunder side of said support intermediate said Shanks to hold the bandflat against the fabric.

WILMER H. CHURCHILL..

